Game of Thrones: Love and Duty
by Assassin master ezio 91
Summary: In an effort to end the stalemate between them, King Stannis Baratheon agrees to betrothed his daughter to King Robb Stark's youngest brother. But when they meet and get to know each other, what will dominate their marriage, Love, or duty. Will gentle and shy Shireen Baratheon finally find true love with the 'Wild' Wolf' Rickon Stark?
1. Chapter 1

**Game of Thrones: Love and Duty**

Chapter 1 of my new Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

AU story where Stannis claims the Iron Throne and the Red Wedding never happened, also in this Robb never marries Jeyne, or Talisa.

Main pairings in this story are listed below:

Rickon/Shireen  
>RobbMyrcella  
>SansaPodrick  
>AryaGendry  
>BranMeera

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

'_Misfortune piles upon misfortune.' _King Stannis Baratheon thought bitterly to himself.

He was sitting in the small council chambers; listen to the latest report received from their most recent attack. Despite his victories, despite ousting the Lannisters and claiming his blood right, he still had no control over the North and the Riverlands. Those land were still under control of King Robb Stark of the North.

Stannis' eyes narrowed. _'Robb Stark; he refuses to yield; he shelters two of that whore Cersei's children, does he truly expect anyone to accept Myrcella as Queen of the North.'_

Except, even as he thought this, Stannis knew it to be true. The North had accepted Myrcella and her younger brother too. A good number of years had passed; years spent first trying to claim the Iron Throne. Then once he claimed that, trying to subjugate the North and the Riverlands. Now he sat with his small council; listening grimly as the messenger delivered his report. A report of yet another failed attack against his enemies. It was becoming repetitive and was beginning to put a strain on his resources. He had sent an army, forty-thousand strong, to attack. Only a little over two thousand came back. He wondered if it was time to try and different tactic; one that wouldn't lead to such pointless waste.

'_Gods save me; I'm actually contemplating this.' _He wondered in disbelief. _'I'm actually contemplating giving up on the North and Riverlands, letting Robb Stark have and instead suing for peace.'_

He shook his head; he would have to see how this played out, before he made a final decision.

The messenger finally finished his report and was dismissed. Almost immediately one of his small council spoke up.

"Your Grace, we must answer this. They cannot be allowed to get away with such acts." He cried. "We must avenge the deaths of these men and reduce these barbarians and those that follow them to nothing."

Another council member cut across him. "You speak madness! We have just been defeated and you expect us to fight again. You expect the result to be any different. We've tried time and time again to attack them, our men always come back as corpses."

Queen Selyse, who was seated on her husband's left, spoke sharply. "What are _you_ proposing then Lord Caron? That we surrender and let those thieves take what is ours?"

That immediately set everyone arguing. One side favouring surrender; the other advocating more attacks. Stannis sighed and shook his head; only Selyse was close enough to hear his teeth grinding. Recognizing the danger sign she stopped talking, watching him carefully. Things were still tense between them after all. While he allowed R'hllor worship, her husband had somehow backtracked, refusing to accept it as the one true faith. As such the Septs still stood. The worship of the Seven was still practiced. It didn't make sense to Selyse; and she constantly tried to bring it up, without success.

Stannis did not raise his voice; he didn't see the point. Instead he simply raised a hand and the room fell silent. He watched them all with a withering stare.

"One group says one thing, the other claims something else…What am I to make of this, other than the fact none of you clearly have the best interests of the crown at heart."

They all bowed their heads while Stannis prepared himself for what was likely to come next. He hadn't missed the fact that those advocating continued attacks on the Starks were those that, like his wife, worshiped R'hllor. Stannis turned to the man on his right, the only person who hadn't uttered a word yet.

"Davos; I named you Hand of the King for specific reasons…One of them is being able to stay calm in a crisis. What do you have to say about our current situation?" He asked simply.

Davos sighed and examined the map on the table before him. After a long silence he spoke.

"I feel that we have simply been wasting resources and men, lives have been squandered and for what. Contrary to what you claim Your Grace; the North belonged to the Starks, long before the Baratheon's ever existed." He explained carefully; directing the last statement at Selyse. "I feel our best option is to stop these senseless attacks and, not surrender, but make peace. Forge an alliance with Robb Stark, maybe then we'll have a chance for peace."

There were some whispers from all those gathered and Stannis knew Davos' words had got through. There would still be some problems however, but it was clear that nobody seemed to think attacking the Starks would be a good idea anymore. Stannis guessed it had to do with Davos' admitted true statement about the North belonging to the Starks since even before Aegon's Conquest.

Davos waited; tension coiled within him. He could only guess what the reaction would be to what he was about to say.

He cleared his throat and began. "Your Grace, we must ensure that this alliance is as strong as possible. Therefore I suggest that…"

"No, never." It wasn't Stannis, but Selyse who complained. "You dare suggest that we have my daughter marry into that…that _family_ of beasts. Besides, for your plan to work Davos; she'd have to marry one of the men in that family. In case your have forgotten, Robb Stark married that inbred Lannister girl and his brother is married to some filthy Crannog woman."

"There is another brother, Your Grace." Davos explained. "I believe it would be best for us to cement this alliance by having Princess Shireen marry Rickon Stark, Prince of the North."

Selyse looked outraged and then raised yet another concern of hers. "Oh, but let's not also forget that they refuse to accept the true God. You send my daughter there to becoming a wolf's plaything and have them force her to convert to their heathen ways. I…"

Davos spoke quickly. Trying to calm things down. "Your Grace; that will not happen; or do you forget that Queen Myrcella still follows the Seven."

Selyse geared herself up to complain again but then suddenly.

"Enough." Stannis said sharply. "I have decided on this matter."

Silence fell as they awaited their King's decision.

Twenty-three year old Shireen Baratheon sat in the gardens of the Red Keep, lost in her book. Books were the young woman's solace; it was the one time she didn't feel alone. That which had plagued her childhood years, still did so in her adult ones. She scarcely looked at a mirror anymore; not wanting to see that hard jaw, the too large ears, or worst of all, the mottled grey flesh that covered the left side of her face. She shook her head; determined to not let herself be driven towards sorrow, not on a day like today. She sighed as she contemplated what had been happening. It had been several days since her father's army had returned defeated from the North. Like Lord Davos and many others she had overheard, she considered the campaign wasteful.

"Princess."

Shireen jumped and looked up from her book, eyes wide. She relaxed when she saw it was Lord Davos.

"Greetings Lord Davos, is there something I can help you with?" She greeted him politely, smiling as she did so.

Davos sat down next to her and sighed. "Things have been very busy over these last few days. We may have finally reached a peace agreement with the North."

Shireen tensed, already she guessed what Davos was leading up to. Still she kept her suspicion out of her voice as she replied. "That's good; the fighting needs to stop anyway."

"Yes, well, we've reached our peace agreement, the Starks have agreed to our terms." Davos replied. "So I've been sent to inform you; as part of the agreement, you are now betrothed, to Rickon Stark, Prince of Winterfell."

Despite expecting them, the words still stunned Shireen.

Davos saw her expression and decided to clarify exactly what was going on.

"I know this comes as a shock for you Princess. You're being betrothed to a boy six years younger than you. But…"

She shook her head. "There is no need to explain Lord Davos, I understand. I just…never imagined I would be married; even if it ends up…"

She didn't finish, but Davos guessed what she meant. "I know you've never met him. I've only had the pleasure of meeting Rickon Stark at least three times. He's more a man of action than words. But I can assure you; this will work out well in the end."

Shireen nodded slowly; dubiously even. She couldn't see it, couldn't see why Rickon Stark would marry her unless he had to. How could he possibly love her, with her greyscale and all? Still, she would do it, she knew in her heart that, regardless of outcome, she wanted to marry him. She knew she would have to get ready right away; she would be leaving for Winterfell, tomorrow.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Game of Thrones: Love and Duty**

Chapter 2 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Boris Yeltsin: Thanks :)  
>Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)<br>Pop: Thanks, here you go.  
>Wolfgirl2013: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.<br>Marina Ka-Fai: Thank you.  
>IrishJessy: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, well, you're in luck, there will be Gendrya stuff in this story and the next story I'll be doing has them as the main pairing :)<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

It was cold.

Of all her mother's complaints about the North; that was the only one Shireen agreed with. She was certain it was the only true complaint, now that she was here. She was wearing no fewer than five layers and on top of that, a fur lined cloak. Yet she was still shivering.

'_How do they live up here?'_ She wondered fretfully.

She felt nervous too, extremely nervous. She would be in Winterfell very soon, meeting with the Starks, her soon to be good-family. Truthfully it terrified her; she wondered what they would think of her.

She shifted nervously as her thoughts continued. _'What if they feel I'm too weak, what if I'm not strong enough to be a wife to a Northerner. What if my…'_

She subconsciously began tugging at her hair, trying to hide her greyscale scars. A habit she had developed since childhood. All too soon she arrived at Winterfell; her heart was pounding, her throat dry. Doing her best to marshal her fears however, she exited the carriage. Once outside the full blast of the cold hit her. She winced but fought to keep her shivering to a minimum. She could be strong, she proved that every day, living amidst people who judged her harshly due to her appearance. She needed strength to ignore their whispered jibes. So steeling herself, she stepped away from the carriage, across the courtyard.

She saw four people standing waiting for her; two of them were just children. She recognized the man who stepped forwards to greet her. Even though she had never met him before. There was no mistaking the young man however, as King Robb Stark of the North. She felt the tension coiling up inside her, until he smiled and greeted her warmly.

"Welcome to Winterfell Shireen; it is an honour to have you here." He said formally.

She smiled and bowed. "Thank you Your Grace, I am glad to be here…"

Robb shook his head, laughing slightly. "None of that please; we're to be family soon, just Robb is fine."

Shireen gaped at this, but before she could reply she found herself gasping for air. Myrcella had seized her in a very tight embrace; when she finally let go Shireen saw she was smiling. Shireen noted that Myrcella had changed since childhood. As a child she had been cute, even beautiful. Now she was stunning; Robb was certain a lucky man, being married to her. It was clear Myrcella had adapted well to life in the north. She wore her hair loose and unadorned, was clad in a northern style gown and was paler than Shireen remembered her being. Yet this enhanced the beauty that was already there, in her golden curly hair and green eyes. Shireen couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous.

"It's so good to see you again Shireen." Myrcella said happily.

Shireen smiled and nodded; she was happy too, she couldn't deny that. "I feel the same way Myrcella."

Myrcella smiled and stepped back.

Shireen's attention was then drawn to the children; they both looked to be around seven years old. Thinking back to what she knew that would put their birth exactly nine moons after Robb and Myrcella's marriage. The boy looked very much like a true Stark, except for his green eyes. The girl meanwhile was like a miniature version of Myrcella; but with Robb's eyes. They were both standing, very well behaved, watching the greetings take place, smiling happily.

Myrcella saw Shireen's gaze and spoke. "Shireen, I'd like you to meet Rickard and Joanna Stark."

She smiled as the children greeted and welcomed her warmly.

'_They're so well behaved.' _She thought to herself. _'They've been brought up well.'_

Then, unbidden her mind went to another of her mother's comments, one she uttered often about the North. One that a lot of those in south seemed to believe. But not Shireen, definitely not.

She knew with certainly now her mother was wrong. _'Barbaric monstrous men wouldn't raise such good and kind children.'_

The tension eased out of her slowly each passing moment. Everything she ever feared about the north, and all her mother's ludicrous complaints about it, just melted away. The truth showed itself to her and finally, the only things causing her discomfort was the cold, and the apprehension of meeting her betrothed.

Yet as she headed inside with Robb, Myrcella and their children; she did not see Rickon Stark anywhere. This confused her, she thought he'd be here to greet her. Was this a sign of things to come? She thought he would have at least waited to meet her before deciding to see her as little as possible. Yet something in the back of her mind kept niggling at her. Telling her that it wasn't true, that there was a reasonable and legitimate explanation for Rickon's absence. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she almost didn't hear Robb introducing her to someone. Luckily she recovered in time to find out who it was.

"Shireen, this is my mother, Catelyn." Robb said by way of introduction.

The woman who approached her was of middle-age, with auburn hair and blue eyes. Yet remarkably, the only signs of age on the woman were a few traces of grey in her hair, near the temples.

"Welcome Shireen, it is very nice to meet you." She greeted the younger woman with great warmth. "I hope you'll find Winterfell to your liking."

Shireen smiled and nodded. "It's very impressive my Lady."

She was glad to note that her soon to be good-mother didn't show any signs, small or large, of disgust. She seemed to happily accept Shireen with open arms, in spite of the Greyscale, in spite of everything. That gave Shireen some hope; maybe things wouldn't be so bad, particularly since Catelyn seemed to accept her in that manner, in a way that suggested she felt Shireen would be a suitable match for her youngest son.

Shireen stood in her room; clad in a much thicker shift compared to what she usually wore. It was late at night, she was ready for bed. She gazed out of the window at the courtyard of Winterfell. Much like it had been during the day, everything seemed different from King's Landing. There didn't appear to be any danger, no fear for those going about at night. It seemed purer in a way. Yet Shireen couldn't relax, something was still bothering her.

'_I've been here a whole day now, yet I've still not met Rickon.'_ She fretted. _'Where could he be, I'll have to be sure to ask tomorrow.'_

So, still nervous and unsure; Shireen went to bed. Immediately pulling the large number of thick furs around herself; trying hard to build up some warmth and keep it there. After lying restlessly for some time, she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Game of Thrones: Love and Duty**

Chapter 3 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Boris Yeltsin: Yup, she is, we'll be seeing more of them soon :)  
>Marina Ka-Fai: Of course; one thing I feel you can't fault the Starks on, is hospitality.<br>Pop: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it; well, you'll soon see them. Although the Direwolves won't feature prominently in this story, they will be there, at least, Summer, Grey Wind and Shaggydog will.  
>IrishJessy: I've never seen that in any of the fics I read; well, you're about to get your first view of Arya and Gendry, enjoy :)<br>Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, felt they were sweet together. Glad you liked that too :)  
>Soviet Bot: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

As Shireen broke her fast with the Starks the following day; she decided to ask the question that was bothering her.

"Um, I was wondering, where is Rickon? I haven't seen him since I got here."

It was Catelyn, smiling warmly, who answered. "He's away with Bran and Meera on a hunting trip. They should be back today."

Shireen nodded. "I…I see.

Noting her expression Myrcella leaned over and spoke reassuringly.

"Don't take it personally Shireen; this trip was arranged long before any news of the betrothal reached us."

Shireen nodded again; feeling more relaxed, knowing Rickon hadn't gone on the hunting trip to avoid her. Now she knew a likely time for him to come; she felt something. It was different from nervousness, anticipation was closer to the mark. Later on in the day, she decide to explore Winterfell and get to know the place better. The exploration of the castle was quite enjoyable she found.

'_I was right, it's very different, much purer, than Dragonstone or Kings Landing.' _She mused as she came out into the courtyard again.

She had spoken with some of the castle inhabitants too while exploring. The people here she noticed were very different from those in the South. They did not shy away, nor did they show any signs of disgust at her Greyscale. That gave her hope, hope that Rickon would be the same.

She stopped when she heard something from the building which she had learned was the castle forge. She had heard the sound of someone talking; then a childish giggle responding. Curious she walked over to the forge and entered quietly. She almost gasped when she saw the man working the forge. He was in his late twenties; tall, heavily muscled with thick black hair and blue eyes.

'_He looks like, a younger, thinner Uncle Robert…Could he, could he be…?'_ She wondered to herself.

She was fairly certain of it, she young man was one of her Uncle Robert's bastards. She then noticed the young man wasn't alone. Seated on a bench against the far wall was a young cute little girl, about four years old. She had typical Stark features, brown hair, which reached her shoulders, a long narrow face. However her eyes were the same blue as the young man.

Shireen looked from one to the other. _'Is he, is he her father, he must be. But that means, he married one of the Starks; despite his blood. How surprising.'_

It was then the little girl, who Shireen noted was wearing a tunic and breeches instead of a dress, looked up. She saw Shireen and her eyes widened, she jumped down from the bench, Shireen noted the small wooden sword attached to her belt.

She then cried out. "Papa!"

The man turned to her and she pointed towards Shireen. He turned and then saw her.

He smiled and walked over to her; the girl also came running forwards. Stopping next to the man; watching Shireen with a curious gaze.

"Greetings, can I help you, is there something you need?" The man asked politely.

Shireen shook her head; suddenly nervous again. "N-no, I'm sorry, I…I just…"

The man's eyes widened slightly however and he smiled wider. "Wait, you're Shireen Baratheon, aren't you?" Shireen nodded and he clarified. "I was informed about your betrothal to Rickon."

Shireen smiled and nodded.

"Yes, that's right. I heard the two of you and was curious. May I ask who…?"

The man smiled and introduced himself. "Ser Gendry Stark."

She started at that and he explained.

"I was knighted but I had no last name, being an unacknowledged bastard. But as a knight I was still eligible to marry a lady of high standing. So when I married Arya, as she was of a higher house, I took her name."

Now it suddenly made sense; he was married to Arya Stark; someone else Shireen knew by reputation. The girl had a thing for impropriety and going against what was expected of ladies of high standing. Shireen admired her for it.

"I see; I'd like to meet Princess Arya, may I?" She replied with a smile.

Gendry laughed and nodded. "Of course; although I wouldn't call her that to her face; she hates it. She's at the archery range."

Shireen nodded somehow she felt that fitted. The little girl then spoke up. "Can I go with the lady to see Mama?"

"Of course Visenya; just be careful." Gendry said kindly to her.

Visenya smiled at that and Shireen left the forge with her, heading for the archery range.

Some time later; Shireen was happier than she had ever been in her life. She was standing, aiming carefully at a target with her bow. She released the arrow and hit; still smiling she stepped back. Arya then stepped forwards to take her shot. They had found Arya at the archery range, Shireen saw right away everything she heard about Arya and her 'wildness' was mostly true. Yet when Visenya called out to her, her expression changed and softened, proving she was a loving mother, as well as everything else. Shireen had felt intimidated at first by the young woman; despite them being the same age. Arya had greeted her cordially; yet it was clear she still held ladylike behaviour with low approval. Yet somehow they got to talking about the nobles of the Southern Court. Almost at once Shireen surprised herself and Arya with her own witty comments regarding those people. When Arya offered to teach Shireen archery, she found herself readily agreeing. Now the two had become fast friends.

After taking her shot Arya turned to her. "So, how are liking Winterfell so far?"

"It's a nice place, if a little cold." Shireen replied. "But everybody here is so nice. Nobody judges me for my Greyscale."

Arya nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. If anyone did I swear I'd introduce them to Needle."

The two women were alone, so Arya wasn't restraining any aggressive speech. Visenya had watched them for the first twenty minutes or so. But then she ran off to play with the other children when she saw them.

Shireen smiled as she thought of the little girl. "Visenya seems to be a lot like you; in personality I mean."

"I noticed." Arya replied with a laugh. "Drives Gendry crazy; but who knows." Her expression softened. "Maybe we'll be lucky and have a son who takes after him next."

Shireen nodded and smiled; amazed at how Arya could be like two different people.

It was true, the Arya she saw, the way she acted most of the time; was the wild, fun loving, sword wielding young woman. The one she was infamous for being. Yet then there was Arya, the mother and wife, a gentler soul, yet still just as strong. It was a thrilling combination. Although Shireen couldn't help but wonder how Arya and Gendry could carry out their love lives. They had two distinctly opposite heights and builds; Arya being shorter and thinner than Gendry.

'_How do they manage it without him crushing her?'_ Shireen wondered to herself.

Just then, they were distracted by the arrival of a woman, a couple of years older than Arya, with auburn hair and blue eyes.

"Arya." She called out as she approached.

Arya turned to face the woman. "What is it, Sansa?"

Sansa sighed as she stopped in front of her sister. "Could you please teach Visenya to play nice? She scared Tyrion."

"Sorry about that; I'll talk to her." Arya replied; before introducing Shireen. "I don't think you've properly met Shireen yet?"

Sansa expression changed as she turned to greet the younger woman. "No, it's a pleasure to meet you at last."

"The pleasure is mine." Shireen replied politely; knowing also Sansa's reputation, of being a true lady. "May, I ask, who is Tyrion?"

She knew of Tyrion Lannister, but this was obviously someone else with the same name.

Sure enough Sansa's answer satisfied her curiosity.

"My son, Tyrion Payne. Oh here he is now, with his father." She called out. "Podrick, we're over here."

The young man came over to them, greeting Shireen politely. With him was a young boy; about six. He had the same auburn hair and blue eyes as Sansa, but his father's facial features. Shireen greeted them all warmly. They all spoke for some time. Just then they heard the loud note of a horn, and the gates began to open. They turned and watched as the riders came in. Shireen's heart sped up, the hunting party had returned. She watched as a pair of servants approached the first horse with a wheeled chair. The young man sitting on the horse was clearly Bran Stark. Next to him, a young woman with curly brown hair and green eyes dismounted.

'_That must be his wife, Lady Meera.'_

She watched as Meera undid the straps on Bran's saddle and helped him down from the horse, onto the wheeled chair. Before she straightened back up, Bran caught her in a kiss. They parted and she laughed before they began to walk towards the castle. They saw the group and came over to greet them. Shireen however, felt her gaze be pulled to the third prominent member of the hunting group.

It was Rickon Stark; only seventeen, yet nearly as tall as his brother Robb. His hair was a wild mess, tamed by being tied back with a simple leather binding. Surprisingly, he made no effort to greet her, instead he simply headed straight into the castle. An intense expression on his face; a strange glint in his blue eyes.

"He…He never even noticed me." She said quietly.

"It's alright Shireen." Bran stated kindly; making her blush as she realized she had been heard. "Don't take it the wrong way place. Rickon always gets worked up on a hunt. Give him time to cool down."

She nodded; while they hadn't actually interacted yet, she had finally seen her betrothed. She had to admit, she liked what she saw. She only hoped that he would find her just as appealing.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Game of Thrones: Love and Duty**

Chapter 4 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, glad you like it :)  
>Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it; glad you liked the Starks; especially Arya, Gendry and Visenya; hope you liked the little thing with Visenya already showing how much she's like her mother (the wooden sword). Glad you liked that little part, well, came from Pod's respect for Tyrion after all.<br>Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks, glad you liked it :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Shireen bit her lip. She had been at Winterfell for almost a month now. She was concerned that her fears were true. In all this time, she had come to know the Starks well. They all seemed very nice to her, except Rickon. He had been unbelievably reticent, had barely said more than four words to her. Other than at meal times, she hardly even saw him.

'_He doesn't like me, doesn't even want me.' _She thought sadly. _'But why, I don't understand. He's shown no revulsion, so it's not my Greyscale. Why is he acting like this?'_

She shook her head and looked around. She was in the courtyard, standing with Sansa, Catelyn and Myrcella. They were watching while Bran and Meera were at the archery range, and the rest of the men, and Arya, worked on their sword practice. In Arya's case, her Water Dancing. Yet Rickon was nowhere in sight. The other women seemed to notice her distress and Sansa spoke.

"Shireen, are you alright; you seem, upset." She said softly.

Shireen sighed. "Sorry I just; I just don't understand it…I've been here nearly a month, yet Rickon's hardly spoken to me, or even acknowledged me."

Catelyn gave her a small smile. "He knows you are here Shireen; Rickon…It's nothing personal, he rarely talks to anyone."

Sansa nodded. "That's true, he's more a man of action, than of words."

"I…I guess I understand but, I just don't understand why he refuses to spend any time with me. He's always away somewhere." Shireen explained.

She saw the other women exchange looks at that.

It was then she heard Arya's voice behind her.  
>"Wait; so he's not spent any time with you?"<p>

She shook her head. "Um, no, he's not."

Arya glared. "That stupid ass."

"Arya!" Cat cried out, scandalized.

Arya shook her head. "I'm sorry mother, but that's the way Rickon's acting."

Sansa bit her lip and added. "I agree with Arya, mother. He's treating Shireen terribly, not even giving her a chance."

Catelyn sighed, defeated. She knew that a situation like this, when both her daughters agreed on something, there was no arguing them out of it. Myrcella knew this too and looked worried.

"Now Arya, please, what exactly are you planning?" She asked, concerned.

"Nothing drastic." Arya reassured them, shaking her head. "I just think I need to have a serious talk with my little brother."

Shireen relaxed when she heard that. Despite his poor treatment of her, the last thing she wanted was Rickon getting hurt. It was then however that a distraction arrived, in the shape of a large grey furred wolf. Shireen stepped back, startled. Yet she noticed nobody else reacted, and Myrcella even smiled and held her hand out. The wolf sniffed and licked her hand before allowing Myrcella to scratch him behind the ears. It was then Myrcella remembered something else she had heard about the Starks; their Direwolves.

"Is…Is that…?" She began to ask hesitantly.

Myrcella nodded. "This is Grey Wind. I reacted the same way, first time I saw him."

Shireen smiled at that, feeling reassured. She had adapted so well to the north, sometimes it was easy to forget Myrcella was actually from the south.

Seeing Grey Wind meant that when she met Summer, Bran's Direwolf, she wasn't as taken aback. With their training done, everybody began to resume their usual routines. Except for Meera, after talking with Bran briefly she surprised Shireen by asking to talk to her, in private. Shireen agreed and followed; during her stay in Winterfell she had grown closer to everyone. But the ones she found herself closest too; were Arya, Myrcella and Meera. As they walked away Shireen glanced back. Myrcella was at Robb's side, both of them heading back to the castle, with the twins walking next to them. Sansa and Podrick were right behind them, Sansa holding Tyrion's hand as they walked. Bran followed them along with Arya. Gendry was heading for the forge. Arya was holding Visenya's hand and shaking her head. Making what looked like a half-hearted lecture on how dirty Visenya had got herself. But the look on Arya's face suggested she wasn't angry, in fact, she was remembering her own childhood. Very likely having done the same as her daughter; the two Direwolves followed them inside. From what she had heard, Shireen knew that Rickon also had a Direwolf, but she hadn't seen that one yet. Soon Shireen and Meera were alone and Meera turned to her. She saw the worried look on Meera's face and waited tensely.

There was an awkward silence and Shireen suddenly got the impression Meera didn't know where to begin. She waited patiently, all the while thinking, wondering what she could say or do to help Meera. Finally, however Meera seemed to make up her mind.

"There's something I need to ask you. I…I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone else, yet." She said carefully.

Shireen nodded. "O-okay, what's wrong?"

Meera sighed and then confessed. "I-I'm with child."

"That's, that's wonderful." Shireen gasped happily. "Why would you want to keep that secret?"

She knew Bran and Meera were the only married couple in the family yet to have any children. She couldn't figure out why Meera wouldn't want to inform anyone, particularly Bran.

Meera nodded slowly. "It is, but I…I just, don't want to tell anyone yet. But I needed to confide in someone."

Shireen smiled. "I won't tell anyone, but why won't you tell Bran?"

"I don't want to get his hopes up." She said sadly. "I don't want to hurt him again. I…I was pregnant before, a couple of years ago; but I miscarried. The look on Bran's face when he found out. I couldn't do that to him again."

Shireen lowered her head; she could see Meera's point; she could understand. But, she knew one thing, so she'd have to inform Meera of it.

"Meera; I understand what you're saying. You do have a good point." She explained. "But, think about it, wouldn't Bran be more hurt, that you kept this from him."

Meera was about to reply but stopped and then sighed. "I never thought of it that way, I guess you're right, thank you Shireen."

Shireen smiled and nodded, relieved she could be of some help.

That night; after getting changed for bed, Meera lay down next to Bran. Smiling Bran managed to move his arm around her and pull her close. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Moving him until he lay on his side and was able to hold her too. They lay together, basking in each other's presence.

'_Now is the time.' _She felt and so she spoke up. "Bran, there's something I need to tell you."

He looked at her carefully. "Is everything okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'm sure it is…Bran, I'm pregnant."

She watched as Bran's face split into a wide grin; he then kissed her. After parting he remarked. "That's wonderful. Don't worry Meera, I'm sure this time, this time nothing will go wrong."

"I hope so." She said truthfully; relieved.

They both lay together, Meera smiling as Bran moved a hand to caress her still flat belly. She prayed that Bran's enthusiasm would pay off; that everything would indeed end up alright. That finally, they'd have a child of their own.

* * *

><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**Game of Thrones: Love and Duty**

Chapter 5 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Boris Yeltsin: Yeah, it was pretty sad, but now she has another chance.  
>Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it; yeah, well, it will be sorted out soon. Glad you liked them and Bran and Meera.<br>Marina Ka-Fai: Yeah, it was hard on her; well, it will be revealed eventually.  
>Pop: Thanks, here you go.<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Rickon sighed as he left the Godswood. To anyone else, he would have looked the same as ever. But in truth he was in turmoil; he simply didn't know what to do. He had been told about the betrothal before leaving for the hunting trip. It had played on his mind the whole time and still did.

'_I'm to be married to a woman from the South; one I barely even know.'_ He thought to himself. _'Is she even cut out for this place; not all Southern girls are as strong as Myrcella after all.'_

He had seen her once when he returned; standing with Arya and Sansa. If he was honest with himself, he didn't know what to make of her. Just as he thought that part he spotted Arya approaching him, her daughter in tow. Rickon stopped and waited for them to approach. Although he soon wondered to himself if that was wise. He could see Arya wasn't happy after all, given her expression. Arya stopped in front of him and immediately spoke.

"Rickon, we need to have a little talk."

He sighed and nodded. "Sure, what about?"

She shook her head. "You and Shireen."

He might have guessed; now he knew this wasn't going to be just a simple conversation.

'_A lecture, from Arya. That's something I never thought would happen.'_ He pondered.

However he never had much time to ponder anything else; as she immediately started up.

Almost immediately Arya began to lecture him.

"What is the matter with you, Shireen is your betrothed. You've been ignoring her, keeping your distance, you're supposed to be talking to her." She snapped.

Rickon shook his head. "Arya, I can't just…I mean I don't…"

Arya continued. "Don't what, don't know anything about her? That's why you should be talking to her, why won't you, just what is keeping you back?"

"I don't know, I just…I didn't think." Rickon tried to explain; but realized he didn't have any good excuse for his behaviour.

Arya shook her head. "Honestly; the way your acting, Shireen thinks you hate her. That your marriage is going to be empty, loveless. Is that what you want?"

Rickon shook his head; truthfully he didn't want that, it was the last thing he wanted.

"Well then." Arya stated firmly. "I suggest you really think about this; that you make your mind and start talking to Shireen. Stop being a stupid ass for once."

Rickon gaped; shocked at Arya's use of such language in the presence of a child.

"Arya, you can't say things like that." He stammered. "Visenya's standing right there."

Arya waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, it's not like she hasn't heard me say things like that before; and worse."

Rickon gaped. "But, she's only four."

"Four and half." Visenya cut in, pouting and crossing her arms.

Seeing that, neither Rickon nor Arya could help themselves. They burst out laughing. Finally, when they calmed down, Rickon nodded.

"You're right Arya, I'm sorry. I'll, I'll fix this, I promise."

Arya nodded. "I hope so, for both your sakes."

She and Visenya then left.

Rickon later sat up in his room, absently stroking Shaggydog's fur. He was thinking about what Arya had said; he had to admit, she was right. All his own personal concerns had overshadowed his better judgement, and had in turn hurt his betrothed. The more he thought about them, the more his doubts seemed silly.

"I don't know Shaggy." He said quietly. "It just seems like I've been making excuses. But in truth, Arya is right. I can't possibly know just what this woman is like; what Shireen is like, not unless I go and talk to her."

Shaggydog merely looked up at his master, but didn't even so much as growl. It seemed he was just as confused as Rickon was.

Rickon shook his head. "I thought so; well, I'll have to see if I can find her."

With that he stood up and, with Shaggydog at his heels, left his room. He eventually spotted Shireen but did not approach. She was with Arya, working on their archery. He knew Arya wanted him to talk to Shireen, but he couldn't do so here. He wanted a more…intimate setting. Somewhere quieter, without so many people about. Still he stood and watched them; smirking every time Shireen's arrow struck the target. The one remaining doubt that had lingered, the doubt of her being capable of living in the North, was disappearing. She was more than capable, he felt and, finally seeing for the first time properly. He couldn't deny it.

'_She is beautiful, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.'_

Rickon made up his mind; he would find and talk to Shireen before the day was over. He would finally close this gap.

Meanwhile, in their chambers, Meera was re-stringing her bow and working a notch out of her knife. She smiled as she glanced down, wondering if she would start showing as late as she had in her previous pregnancy. Or if it would be sooner; in truth she was more or less to blame for her miscarriage last time. Since she had started showing late, and since she hadn't sought the Maester's opinion, she hadn't known about her pregnancy. She still tried to do everything she usually did. Hunting, riding, all of it. As a result she had ended up being thrown from her horse one day and that was that. This time however she had sought the Maester's advice and now knew, this time she would be careful. She finished with the tasks she set herself and turned her head. Bran was seated by the window, reading, a faint smile on his face. She smiled and stood, walking over to him. He more than willingly put the book aside as she sat down on his lap. Immediately one of his arms snaked around her waist and the other, after cupping her cheek while they kissed, went down to her belly. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"What would you rather have Bran?" She found herself asking. "A boy or a girl?"

Bran smiled and replied honestly. "Healthy. A healthy strong child, that's all I want."

Meera smiled and kissed him again.

Rickon was determined; he had prepared himself as much as he could. He knew where to find Shireen and was heading there now. On the way he had passed Arya; she had noticed from his expression what he was setting out to do. She nodded her approval, but still shot him a warning look. He entered the Godswood and began to make his way through it. Finally he found her, sitting by the wierwood tree. He was about to announce his presence when Shaggydog suddenly rushed forwards. Rickon watched stunned as Shireen leapt to her feet, only to be knocked the ground by the large black Direwolf.

There was a beat of silence and then...Shaggydog licked her face in greeting.

* * *

><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Game of Thrones: Love and Duty**

Chapter 6 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed that little greeting :) Yeah well, Rickon has to have been taught something by his mother. Glad you liked Visenya though and Bran and Meera, expect more of these little family moments for the other couples too.  
>IrishJessy: Glad you are enjoying it; to be honest an age gap is the least important issue in love and relationships, especially in this series as far as I'm concerned. But yeah, you're right, they sort of do fit together in those aspects.<br>Marina Ka-Fai: Glad you liked her :)  
>Boris Yeltsin: Yeah, he is; it's looking good now.<br>Pop: Glad you liked it; yeah, it would have been scary, but hey, he was just saying hello, so it's all good in the end.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Shireen was startled to say the least. One moment she had been sitting at the Heart Tree in the Godswood. The next, she was pinned to the ground by Rickon's giant black Direwolf. She had been terrified, thinking it was about to attack her. Then he licked her face and she realized he was actually being friendly. It was then she heard his voice; Rickon was present.

"Shaggy, move, you'll crush the poor girl." He said with a laugh.

The Direwolf got off her and she sat up, eyes wide. She tried to scramble to her feet but was taken aback when he stepped forwards. He held out his hand and, acting on instinct, she took it and he helped her to her feet. Suddenly aware that he was in fact standing before her; being close to her for the first time since her arrival in Winterfell. She blushed and quickly wiped her face and fixed her dress. When she recovered her composure she turned back to him. Rickon stood watching her, smiling. Suddenly, all the nervousness she had felt about him returned.

"R-Rickon, I…What are you…?"

He smiled. "I came to see you, please, sit down."

She sat at the base of the Heart Tree; Rickon sat down next to her. Shaggydog settled himself at their feet.

She was surprised by what he said.

'_He said he came to see me. He actually came to see me.'_ She thought, bemused. _'But, he avoided me for so long, why has he changed his mind?'_

She saw Rickon shifting uncomfortably; she suddenly got the sense that Rickon was just as nervous as she was. After a long silence Rickon sighed and finally spoke up.

"Shireen I wish…I wish to apologize for how I've been treating you." He said seriously. "It was most ungallant of me."

Shireen was surprised by this but smiled. "I…That's; thank you Rickon, I'm glad you decided to talk to me about this. But, how what made you…?"

Rickon laughed. "It was Arya who convinced me what I was doing was wrong."

Shireen recalled Arya mentioning something about talking to Rickon. She smiled, grateful to Arya. Perhaps now there would be a real chance for her to be happy in her marriage.

"I treated you coldly, I know, I'm sorry for that." Rickon explained. "I just, I didn't know what to think, how to react, this was just…thrust upon me."

Shireen nodded slowly; she could see what he meant. "Rickon…"

However he wasn't done, he shook his head and continued. "I knew nothing about you; I wasn't sure how you'd cope with the North. But I was wrong; I shouldn't have ignored you, or made assumptions."

"Rickon." She said again, carefully. "It's fine, I mean it. What matters is, you're here now, we still have a chance. We can still work on this and be happy. We just need to get to know each other; the way to do that is to talk."

Rickon smiled; looking relieved. "Well, what do you want to talk about?"

Shireen smiled back, an idea occurring to her. "I'll gladly tell you about me. But, I don't know much about you either. Only your reputation and…rumours about you. I don't want to know that. Tell me about the real Rickon Stark."

He smirked and immediately began to talk.

Shireen wasn't sure how much time had actually passed; but it was getting late. Rickon had done as she requested; in return she had told him all about her. They had shared stories about life in the North and life in the South. The differences were very noticeable. Then, Shireen decided to ask about something that had been on her mind for some time.

"Rickon; what can you tell me about the Old Gods. I know they're connected to the Godswood and, the Heart Tree."

Rickon smiled. "I can tell everything I know about them. Although, if you're because, you think should…"

He trailed off; Shireen shook her head. "I don't; if I do convert, it will be because I want to; but I need to know about them first. Why would you say that anyway, I mean, doesn't Myrcella and your mother still follow the Seven, Sansa and Podrick too?"

Rickon nodded, he had to admit she was right. So taking a deep breath he began talking to her about the Old Gods and what he knew. Shireen smiled; it was interesting, how different Rickon was. Rather like Arya he was like two people in one. While he could be sullen and silent, once he got talking; he was bright and cheerful, especially on a subject he knew about. By the time he was done; they were both smiling happily; sitting rather close.

"So, Shireen, maybe we should…"

He didn't finish his sentence since Shireen chose that moment to kiss him. It was sweet and loving, especially for their first time and they loved it.

Podrick smiled as he left the forge; he had been talking to Gendry while delivering his sword to the forge to be sharpened. He was now on his way back to the chamber he shared with his beautiful wife and loving son. When he entered he found them seated at the table. Tyrion was reading a book out loud, while Sansa sat next to him. She smiled as she listened, helping whenever he faltered at some of the longer or more difficult words. They both looked up as he entered and smiled.

"Father, your back." Tyrion cried out; putting the book down carefully.

Pod nodded and lovingly ruffled his son's hair. Sansa had stood by now and was at his side. He turned and embraced and kissed her deeply. When they parted they both laughed at Tyrion's expression.

He shook his head. "Ewww."

Sansa cast a pointed look at Pod before saying. "You know your father and I did worse than that, in order for you to be born."

Tyrion simply made a face; took his book and got up from the table.

"I'm going to ask the Maester to listen to my reading." He said firmly before leaving.

They both smiled and Sansa shook her head. "We really shouldn't say things like that.

"I wouldn't worry Sansa; he more than likely knows what we're talking about." Podrick remarked. "I'd be surprised if he hasn't walked in on Arya and Gendry, or even Bran and Meera yet."

Sansa sighed but had to admit, her husband was right. Still, despite all that, she loved her family dearly and wanted to treasure them for the rest of her life.

* * *

><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**Game of Thrones: Love and Duty**

Chapter 7 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks, glad you enjoyed them :)  
>Boris Yeltsin: Yup, there will be, both in this chapter and the next :)<br>Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it; yeah, they were :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Shireen shifted slightly in her seat. It had been a few months since she and Rickon had finally spoken. Since then they were almost inseparable; taking every opportunity they could to be together. Shireen had surprised her soon to be good family too, when she decided to convert to the Old Gods. She had explained to them her reasoning, her dislike for her mother's religion and how she had never felt that strong in her faith to the Seven. Yet something about the Old Gods resonating strongly to her. To her great joy, none of them questioned her decision, in fact, they encouraged it. Right now however, she wasn't with Rickon. She wasn't the only one however; she was sitting within a tower room with Sansa, Arya, Meera, Myrcella and Catelyn, as well as few other women and girls. The men had left that morning to go deal with the execution of a deserter. This left the women to their own devices, however surprisingly; Arya had chosen to be present with the others. Shireen guessed her reason for being here was simply to watch over her daughter. The children were also present in the room, playing together. Shireen smiled over at them, she wondered briefly, slightly worried, how long it would before she and Rickon had their first child.

She returned her attention to the other women present as the conversation continued.

"So Meera, what did the Maester say?" Jeyne Greyjoy asked, smiling.

Shireen had met the girl before but only recently really got to know her. Before her marriage her name had been Jeyne Poole; she was the daughter of Eddard Stark's steward. She was also close friends with Sansa. She was now married to Robb's friend Theon Greyjoy.

Meera smiled; a hand resting on her now swollen belly. "Everything is fine Jeyne; the Maester confirmed that the child is fine."

The others all smiled at that and Myrcella then asked. "So, there is hope then, that this time…?"

She hesitated to say the words; but Meera smiled and nodded.

"Yes; there is real good chance that nothing will go wrong this time." She paused and then added. "I just need to keep being careful."

Shireen smiled and, when Meera looked over at her, she nodded encouragingly. Meera smiled back. It seemed that the most prominent events in Winterfell at this moment were the upcoming birth of Bran and Meera's child and Shireen and Rickon's wedding. Indeed, at that moment, attention turned from Meera to Shireen.

"So, Shireen, are you looking forward to your wedding?" Sansa asked, smiling widely.

Shireen nodded and smiled slightly. "Yes; I am, everything is perfect, Rickon is, well…"

She felt herself blush at that.

The others all shared smiles; Catelyn nodded approving to her before speaking.

"I'm glad to hear it Shireen. If I had to guess, I would say the two of you fit each other perfectly."

Shireen smiled; relieved to hear that. However she couldn't shake a strange feeling growing within her.

Jeyne seemed to notice as she then asked. "Are you, nervous?"

She nodded and Jeyne replied. "I wouldn't worry too much. Such feelings are normal; I remember how nervous I was, when I married Theon."

"I'm sure we were all the same with our husbands." Arya remarked, prompting Sansa to smirk.

"Oh, even _you_ Arya?" She queried with a raised eyebrow.

Arya rolled her eyes; replying. "Especially me Sansa; because truthfully, I wasn't prepared for it. I choose not to listen to those 'lessons' remember."

That prompted laughter from the others as Arya smirked in response. When the laughter stopped Arya turned to Shireen.

"They're right though; such feelings are common." She explained. "Try not to worry about it. Just remember all the good things; that helps."

Shireen nodded; already feeling better. Just then they heard the distinctive sounds of the men returning. Arya smiled as Visenya ran over to her, just as the other children ran to their respective mothers.

"Well, let's go down and welcome them back, then I can get to practice." Arya said cheerfully.

They all smiled and left, heading down to the courtyard.

Myrcella laughed as she and Robb returned to their chambers. Rickard and Joanna had stayed in the courtyard with the others. Robb kissed her neck and Myrcella let out a soft sigh. Once in their chambers they both collapsed onto the bed, lips locked together as they kissed hungrily. Finally, they parted for air and Myrcella rested her head against Robb's chest.

"So, it is done then?" She asked simply.

He nodded. "Yes; it was hard for Rickon, this was the first time he's seen a proper execution. But he did well; he kept it together. I'm proud of him."

Myrcella nodded slowly. "I'm glad to hear it; well, if he's having difficulty at least he'll have Shireen to help him."

"That is true." Robb remarked; before smirking and claiming Myrcella's mouth with his own again.

She responded eagerly; her fingers playing with the laces on his tunic. Suddenly however Robb stopped. Myrcella looked up at him; seeing he was looking over her head; eyes wide. She turned, expecting to find their children standing there. That had happened before, but not in this case. Myrcella felt the heat in her face build considerably; as her good-mother stood there; watching them with a raised eyebrow.

"M-mother." Robb spluttered.

Catelyn shook her head. "I did knock, but I got no answer, so I was concerned."

Myrcella groaned. "I'm sorry; we, we weren't…"

"It's fine; just be more careful in future. As if Arya and Gendry aren't bad enough." Catelyn replied before leaving them.

Myrcella groaned, burying her face in Robb's chest. Embarrassed though she was, she had to admit, it felt good to have such a loving family.

Rickon sighed as he fell heavily on the bed. He had just witnessed his first execution; it was a strange experience; not pleasant at all. He wondered if Bran felt the same when he witnessed his first execution. Then again, Bran had been younger than Rickon was now at that time. He had done his best to stay calm. Now his emotions threatened to overwhelm him; luckily he found a distraction, in the form of a knock at the door.

"Come in?" He said, curiously.

He sat up as Shireen entered; he watched her, his curiosity climbing as she approached him. She sat next to him on the bed. Then suddenly she embraced him, it felt like a great weight had disappeared.

"Shireen." He breathed softly.

She gently kissed him and then spoke. "I thought I'd find you like this. What happened can't have been easy for you."

Rickon nodded; although he had to admit, now, he felt better. Her very presence helping him greatly. So Shireen stayed and they lay on the bed together; Rickon slowly recovering from witnessing the execution.

* * *

><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Game of Thrones: Love and Duty**

Chapter 8 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Boris Yeltsin: Thanks :)  
>Marina Ka-Fai: LOL, yeah, I suppose you're right :)<br>Veridissima: Thought you'd like that; glad you liked it, and the part with Catelyn :)  
>Wolfgirl2013: Thanks; okay, thanks for letting me know, hope you can catch up on the other two stories too.<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Rickon smiled as he fired at the target with his bow. The wedding was drawing closer; he could hardly wait. He stepped back as Arya and Shireen took up their places to fire. He watched carefully; smiling wider as he did so.

'_She's getting better all the time.'_ He reflected happily as Shireen took her shot.

She turned to him with a playful smirk which he returned. Arya also fired her shot.

"Nice work." Rickon stated truthfully.

Both ladies smiled in responses and Shireen replied. "Thank you; so, shall we continue?"

He nodded and took up position. Just then however Gendry came rushing over, Visenya on his shoulders.

"Hey, I just heard; Meera's gone into labour, she's just been taken to the birthing bed."

Immediately they hurried to put their bows and unfired arrows back before rushing after Gendry, back into the castle.

'_This is it. They've made it, they've come this far.'_ Shireen thought to herself; regarding Bran and Meera. _'Please, let everything go well; it would be terrible for something to go wrong now.'_

She knew Meera had been exceptionally careful, despite her restlessness. Which meant the only real fear now was complications occurring during the birth. But hopefully that wouldn't be the case. But it was still a risk, especially given Meera's slender build. Then of course was the pain; Meera was used to pain given her activates. But this was beyond anything she would have experienced before.

When they arrive just outside the room, they see the others all present. Shireen instinctively flinches as she hears Meera cry out from within the room. When they properly join the others she asks.

"How long ago did it start?"

Robb answered immediately. "Only about an hour or so."

Rickon looked around before asking his own question. "Is Bran in there with her?"

Again Robb nodded, this time in confirmation. Shireen smiled; from what she had heard Robb, Podrick and Gendry had insisted on being present during the births of their children. She was also pretty sure Rickon would insist on being present when their time came. She took a seat next to Rickon and they waited for news. It was a daunting experience; sitting, talking quietly, occasionally hearing Meera scream. For Shireen, it was terrifying, she couldn't help but wonder about the pain, how intense it must be.

'_Could I; Meera's used to pain, if it's this bad for her…'_

"Shireen?" She heard Rickon's voice and turned to him.

"Y-Yes?"

He looked worriedly at her expression. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head but Rickon quickly spoke. "Don't say it's nothing, I can see something if troubling you."

So she sighed and explained her fears. Rickon smiled gently and kissed her before whispering.

"You're right, from what I hear, it does hurt a lot. But in the end, it is worth it, you're given the greatest gift of all. Just ask my sisters, or Myrcella."

She smiled and rested her head, reassured, she knew there was still room for concern, and focused now on praying for the safe birth of Bran and Meera's baby.

Within the chamber; Meera lay back, her eyes closed, teeth bared in pain. A handmaiden wiped the sweat from her face, Bran held her hand. As the contraction passed she let out a gasp before tightening her grip on Bran's hand slightly. She turned her head towards him.

"Thank you." She whispered softly.

He smiled and leaned in, pressing a kiss to her brow. "It'll be alright; you're alright."

She nodded, wincing slightly in pain. Meera leaned her head back on the pillows. Her emotions were turbulent; mixing in with the joy that her child was coming, was fear and pain. Fear that something might still go wrong; there was still a chance of that after all, however slight. Suddenly another contraction hit, this one more painful than the others and she cried out, almost crushing Bran's hand. Yet Bran gave no sign of pain or discomfort, instead he focused on comforting his wife as much as possible. Panic began to take hold in Meera's heart.

'_Something's wrong, it has to be.'_ Her mind raced. _'This can't be right; it can't hurt this bad unless something's wrong, surely.'_

She was vaguely aware of the Maester speaking. Finally she could make out his words and was surprised to hear he was urging her to push. Still surprised she did as she was told and tried her hardest to focus, despite the pain.

Shireen felt herself starting to doze; Visenya had decided to come and sit on her lap and was already asleep. Tyrion was also dozing, as was Joanna. Rickard however was still mostly alert and trying to stay awake. Shireen felt herself jolted back into wakefulness when the door opened however. The Maester stepped out and smiled.

"You can all come in now." He said. "The child has been born."

Shireen felt her heart lift at that; they had managed it. There had been no complications, nothing went wrong, Meera had managed to give birth to her child. Arya came over and gently took Visenya who started to wake up. They all headed inside; Bran was sitting next to the bed, looking more proud than ever. Meera sat upright in the bed, cradling a blanket wrapped bundle in her arms. They both smiled warmly as they all approached; Meera shifted so they could see the child as she spoke.

"It's a boy." She said softly; wonder still evident in her voice. "We called him Cray."

Bran nodded. "Cray Stark; our very own son."

They all smiled; the boy had the same hair colour and facial features as Bran; but his eyes were the same as Meera's and his small build seemed to come from her too. It was similar after all, Meera explained, to the build of Crannog babies. Later Meera's exhaustion caught up with her. So, as the others left, she lay down to sleep. Bran sat, cradling his son; happier than ever, he finally had his own family. A wife, and now, a son; he just hoped this hadn't put Meera off having any more children. Although he didn't feel they would try again anytime soon at least.

Arya let out a soft moan as Gendry kissed her deeply. They lay on their bed, enjoying some time together. When they parted she laughed softly.

"I never get tired of that."

She didn't have to look to know Gendry was smirking as he replied. "Glad I can still please you m'lady."

She quirked an eyebrow at him; knowing all too well he was saying that to try and make her react. "Oh no, you're not baiting me this time."

"It was worth a try." Gendry remarked playfully.

Arya let out a soft sigh. "Bran and Meera looked so happy."

Gendry nodded. "They did; I believe we looked the same when Visenya was born. Where is she by the way?"

"She's with Sansa and the other children."

Gendry nodded and then, smiling; he began kissing Arya again. Arya responded eagerly; they had time and didn't need to worry about unwanted intrusions. Besides; if they were truly lucky, Visenya would be able to have a younger sibling.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

**Game of Thrones: Love and Duty**

Chapter 9 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, it's sweet.  
>Boris Yeltsin: Thanks.<br>Wolfgirl2013: Thanks, no worries, just hope you manage to do so soon :)  
>Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it; glad you liked the scene.<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Shireen awoke; excitement buzzed within her, as well as nervousness pooling in her stomach. Today was the day, it was time for her and Rickon's wedding. She got out of bed and walked over to the window. It was a beautiful day; a little cold but still beautiful. She smiled widely; before her nervousness reasserted itself. She took a deep breath and did her utmost to calm down. The other women had all reassured her that these feelings would be natural; that was what Shireen kept telling herself.

'_I should focus on being happy.'_ She told herself firmly. _'Rickon and I love each other; this is the day we've been waiting for since we started talking and realizing how much we cared about each other.'_

She straightened up and turned to the looking glass. She no longer saw her ears, jaw or even greyscale scars as issues anymore. Just then there was a knock at the door.

"It's unlocked."

The door opened and Myrcella and Sansa came in.

"Good morning Shireen." Sansa greeted.

Myrcella also greeted her before adding. "Are you ready?"

Shireen nodded. "Yes; I am."

Arya then arrived, smiling. "I came to help out, Meera can't come. She has to help Bran and Cray."

They all nodded; then, together the girls got to work. Before long Shireen was in her wedding gown; her black and gold maiden's cloak around her shoulders. At her request her hair had been left down, northern style.

Finally, once they finished with the last touches, the other women stepped back. Arya and Sansa left to join their husbands. Myrcella smiled and gently put a reassuring hand on Shireen's shoulder.

"There, you look beautiful; Rickon is going to be unable to take his eyes off you." She said gently "Oh, you have a visitor; I have to get down to the Godswood and see Robb. But don't worry, he'll take you there."

Shireen was confused by this; until after Myrcella left and someone familiar stepped into the room.

Shireen gasped. "Lord Davos!"

Davos Seaworth smiled; Shireen knew neither of her parents would come. However she didn't expect anyone to come at all.

"Greetings Princess; it's good to see you again."

Shireen automatically hugged the man who, for so long, had been like an uncle to her.

"Good to see you too; I thought, I thought no one would come."

Davos nodded. "Well, I'm here now. We best get down to the Godswood; are you ready?"

Shireen nodded and so she and Davos left the room and headed down to the Godswood. Still nervous, Shireen was grateful for Davos as he walked her in, fulfilling the role her father should have taken. She smiled widely as she saw her new family all assembled. Robb and Myrcella, with Rickard and Joanna standing to one side, smiling happily. Sansa and Podrick stood next to them, Podrick's arm around her waist; Tyrion stood with his parents; like the other children, he stood tall and straight, well behaved.

As they drew closer, Shireen saw Arya smiling at her; Gendry standing next to her, Visenya between them. They each held one of their daughter's hands. For once Arya and Visenya wore dresses, rather than their usual clothing. Meera stood with a loving hand on Bran's shoulder. Bran sat in his wheelchair, cradling little Cray in his arms. Then her eyes fell on Rickon, standing at the Heart Tree. Her heart raced; she saw his smile; saw the same flicker of nervousness in his eyes and knew he felt the same as her. Soon she found herself standing next to Rickon; their ceremony began. She listened as Rickon spoke his words; swearing his vows to her. She awaited her moment and gave her vows when her time came. Finally, not much later, they kissed; sealing their marriage.

Shireen was surprised. _'The Northern marriage ceremony is very different from what we have in the south. It's shorter, but…It feels deeper; much stronger, more binding.'_

Smiling, overjoyed with this, Shireen walked with Rickon, their arms linked, as they left the Godswood. They made their way back to the castle for the feast. Shireen could feel it as she left the Godswood; a feeling of belonging, of peace, of great happiness. All things she thought she'd never have.

She and Rickon sat at the high table; in the places of honour. Their families sat with them and all the guests filled the hall. Shireen was amazed at the large turnout. At the same time however; it made her nervous. Especially since she knew that, at the end of the feast; they would face the bedding ceremony. Since his attention was directly on her; Rickon noted her expression.

"Shireen, are you alright?" He asked, concerned. "You seem a bit worried."

Shireen jumped and turned to him. "Oh; sorry; I just…I was, worried about later…"

"Later?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "The um, the bedding ceremony."

Rickon's eyes widened slightly as he realized the truth. He nodded slowly and began to ponder carefully. Later on, during the feast; Shireen noted Rickon talking with Robb. She hoped he was talking about some way for them to avoid the bedding ceremony. She was distracted however at that moment by Joanna and Rickard, who had come over to her.

"Aunt Shireen." Rickard greeted her with a smile. "Welcome to the family."

Shireen smiled back. "Thank you, both of you."

The twins hugged her; later on, many others offered congratulations too. As the feast wore on Shireen focused on enjoying herself; trying hard not to worry about the upcoming bedding ceremony. Yet when it was announced that the feast was over and it was time for the bedding, all her worries returned to the surface.

Yet Robb then announced. "A word of warning; there is to be no bedding ceremony, I mean it, they are not to be touched."

Shireen smiled at that; seeing Rickon's grin. He had done this; she was sure. Despite their disappointment, nobody raised any complaint and Rickon took her to their chambers himself.

They stood together in their room; Rickon pulled her close and kissed her. Shireen returned the kiss eagerly; enjoying the feel of Rickon's lips on hers, his hands roaming over her. She was doing the same, before long; the laces of her dress were undone and she stepped back from Rickon, allowing it to fall to the floor.

"Gods, so beautiful." Rickon's words came out breathy.

Shireen smiled as Rickon reached out and gently touched her. Her body tingled, especially when Rickon's hands began touching her breasts, teasing her nipples. She moaned briefly before Rickon began to undress.

"Please; let me." She said quickly.

Rickon agreed and she finished undressing him. Soon they removed their smallclothes. They kissed as they then fell, naked onto the bed. Soon Rickon held himself up with his arm, while using his other hand to touch her Greyscale scar. She leaned her face into his hand; he smiled widely and then nodded.

"Are you ready now?" He said. "We don't have to…"

She shook her head. "I want to, let's go."

With that, Rickon pushed into her. She felt her maidenhead break, there was pain, but the pleasure soon overwhelmed her, surprising her. It wasn't long before Rickon was surprised too; before long Shireen soon found that her years of loneliness had left her remarkably sexually frustrated. As a result, she matched Rickon in terms of sex drive and soon was a very active partner in their coupling. Finally, having reached their peak three times, they climaxed and soon exhaustion took hold of them. They soon lay together; holding each other, enjoying the lasting sensation from their actions. They kissed each other again and allowed exhaustion to take them, drifting off to sleep. They were both overjoyed, having finally married and consummated their marriage in the most eager way they could.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

**Game of Thrones: Love and Duty**

Chapter 10 of my Game of Thrones story, a short epilogue chapter, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.  
>Marina Ka-Fai: Glad you liked him :)<br>Wolfgirl2013: Thanks; was hoping you could review them too.  
>Pop: Glad you liked it and enjoyed Davos' presence.<br>Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

Shireen awoke, feeling warm and happy. She was in bed with Rickon; she remembered vividly their wedding the previous day. It had all gone perfectly; the bedding too had been perfect. She recalled the dull ache she had felt at the time. Yet now, she felt nothing but happiness and joy. She prayed for Rickon's seed to quicken in her womb, that she could give her new husband a child. She heard Rickon mumble and saw him wake up.

She smiled at him. "Good morning."

"Good morning Shireen." He replied, kissing her, pulling her naked body flush against his.

Rickon smirked and spoke up. "Last night was incredible; I never actually thought you would…"

Shireen laughed, blushing at that; she never realized just how potent her pent up sexual feelings would be. As such, they had both had an intense and overwhelming night last night. Still smiling they quickly got dressed and headed down to join their family for breakfast. They found their family sitting at the table; they all looked up and greeted them warmly. They joined them for breakfast; talking happily together. As they did so, Rickon and Shireen shared a knowing look. Whatever the day held for them, they would be looking forward to the night. Looking forward to perhaps making love again, perhaps even trying some new tricks. Shireen couldn't help but smile; everything felt perfect now. It was as if all the fears she had were gone. In fact, she felt a little silly for having them in the first place. Finally, after so long, she was truly happy.

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><p>End of chapter and of story, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


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